A pair of tea cups with lids, a piece of Kuan Kiln Porcelain and the only one of its kind existing in the world, were sold for 1.01 million yuan at an auction held in Shanghai recently.
There were 123 pieces for the auction, of which almost 100 were provided by Aisingiorro Qimeng, a descendant of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The auction income was over 11 million yuan (US$1.3 million).
It was the first time that such a large number of Kuan Kiln Porcelain pieces were on auction in China, as the porcelain was rarely handed down from ancient times.
Kuan Kiln Porcelain was specially made for the use of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing emperors. Authorities including Yang Xin, vice curator of the Palace Museum, identified that the porcelain pieces were all authentic.
Part of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to a welfare program aimed at orphans sponsored by China Charity Federation.
(People’s Daily)
